Failed Your Practical Driving Test? Your Car Might Be The Reason Why!
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Most people are quite excited about going for their practical driving test. After all; they’ve spent quite a lot of time preparing for it by learning – i.e. taking a lot of driving lessons. And their instructor feels they are ready to get the test done.
The ugly truth about driving tests is that the majority fail them the first time round. Official figures for the first quarter of 2016 reveal that just over 49% of people passed the first time.
It’s easy to assume that driver error was to blame. But, what some folks don’t realise is their cars could be letting them down! How is that so, I hear you ask. In today’s blog post, I will share with you some reasons why.
Poor blind spot visibility
During the driving test, the examiner may ask you to reverse-park your vehicle. You may already know how to do that; after all, it’s something you should have got taught by your instructor. The thing is; if your car has poor blind spot visibility, reversing is going to be a nightmare.
On some cars, style has taken over function. That means rear windows might be too narrow or small.
Failing mechanical items
When you go for your driving test, the car you use must be road-legal. That means it must have a valid MOT, insurance, and tax. As you know, the MOT is a test that only gets carried out once a year on cars.
Since the last test, it’s not unusual for some cars to exhibit mechanical faults. Especially if they got flagged up as “advisory” notes in the previous test.
Let’s say that you had to do an emergency stop during your driving test. Imagine if the brake pedal didn’t efficiently operate the brakes on all four wheels! It’s likely you could fail your driving test because of that fact.
As you can appreciate, it makes sense only to use a roadworthy car. If you’ve got an old banger, scrap it and buy a reliable vehicle. You could get one from dealers like Hilton Garage. Of course, you can always opt for a brand new vehicle for added peace of mind.
Door mirrors that won’t stay in position
It’s crucial that you can rely on your door mirrors to show you what’s happening either side of your car. If one of them shakes a lot during driving, you can’t rely on it for an accurate portrayal.
If you don’t spot a motorcyclist, for example, you could end up getting failed. And that’s all because your mirror decided it didn’t like where you pointed it!
How to ensure you’ve got the right car for your test
I could spend all day listing the likely reasons your car could make you fail your driving test. Instead, I’d like to focus on how to ensure it will give you a fighting chance!
The first thing to do is only drive a car you feel 100% comfortable driving. Get a different vehicle if you aren’t happy with it. Next, check that everything works on it. I’m talking about things like the brakes, indicators, lights, and mirrors.
Last, but not least, spend some time driving in the car with a qualified driver sat next to you. That way, you’ll gain more experience and confidence ready for your next test.
Good luck!
